Hall
by Liebling
Summary: ‘She used to think Seamus was her Prince. But seventeen years has changed a lot in that respect. They’re too different. He’s too in love with someone else...he’s so mature, so grown up.’ (SeamusParvati)


**Author's Notice:** I dunno, it's weird. Ask me what I was thinking and I won't know. I just sort of...wrote it.  It's all about a hall, and Seamus/Parvati angstyness kinda.  Parvati's a drama queen, Seamus is cold. I just wanted you guys to see a different side of them. It's weird 'cause it's kinda snap-shotty.  It really shows their insecurities, I think.  Forgive my grammar!

**Another Note**:  You have to have kind of an odd rationalizing way of thinking of it to understand "the hall"  J

**PS=** The ending was hard to write.

_Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting. _

_- Karl Wallenda_

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These halls tell lots of stories, you know.

Stories of love and heartbreak. Stories of life and souls. Stories of melted chocolate and frozen skies.

The most important story this hall will ever tell however, is not about any of this. It's about two people...two children.

It's gone now.  A crumble of sad memories and glistening tears.

A memory of two people who never worked out.

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They found out about it in _second year_. Twelve years old, and oh so good! Never been caught ditching classes, never been kissed, they used to always eat their vegetables.  But one day, she insisted that there was a hall...a secret hall, he laughed.  He laughed even then, he was kind of a young cynic when you thought of it like that.

'Parvati,' he said very calmly, 'I am not going on a wild goose chase so we can find some hall that probably doesn't even exist.'

'Oh come on, stupid,' she teases, 'it'll only take a second. I memorized it where it was, from my dream, you know.'

He sighs, and he sighs again.  And then he allows himself to be dragged by none other than Miss. Parvati.  She finds it quickly, up two staircases, wide left, down seven classrooms...

It's nothing pretty.  It's just a hallway, leading nowhere, boring.  Plain, scratched up walls and a wooden floor.  He stomps on the floor and it shakes. She laughs. 'In the dream you kissed me.'

And there was quiet.

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_Third Year._  Sirius Black. Hogsmeade.

And as the crowd ran to Hogsmeade, they ran to the hall.  And as the teachers asked questions, they were not there.  As everyone was at dinner, two children...

He looks around fifteen, and she laughs because he was just thirteen!  Just turned thirteen too and she was two months and twelve days older.  Two months and twelve days.  Sometimes she tells him: 'I'm not half the person you are Seamus.  You're so smart, I've never had that.'

'Parvati…you're a better person than I am. You're nicer, you're easier to get to know, you're there for people.'

'You're here for me, Seamus.'

He shrugs. 'It's different. You're different.'

She never understood that. How was it different?  He was smarter...he knew about everything he read the newspaper all the time. Even the sad stories about witches dying and wizards getting killed.  He knew about the Minister of Magic and all the behind the scenes stuff.  

'Am I different because you like me?'  She doesn't know where that came from, it just came.

'You're just different.'

And she grabs her bag and walks away.

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They visit it most _fourth year_.  The Yule Ball, the exams...it was kind of a lot going on.  Not so innocent now, well, they were...sort of.  She's been kissed, two times, and he's been kissed once. If you ask Parvati about this, she'll scream, because Lavender kissed him.  And Lavender wasn't supposed to be doing things like that, because, Seamus was _her_ boy and she had Dean. And Dean was far more interesting than Seamus anyway.

They talked.  They laughed.  She cried, he stayed strong. He was always strong, even when she wasn't. He was always strong, even when he wasn't.  

Sometimes she speaks of getting older, 'is is awful if I say life is going so fast? Isn't that what old people say?'  He laughs, that was what old people said.  But it was no matter to him, because it was true anyway.  'It's not awful, it's true. You know, after Hogwarts, I don't know what's going to happen.'

She smiles, 'I suppose you'll find love and get married and all that.  Maybe.'  

He smiles, 'Nothing ever works out like that. I'll probably get a nice job.'

'There's no such thing as a nice job,' she smiles, 'they're all stupid. But love...love is so much better, Seamus.'

'Have you ever been in love, Parvati?'

'I've...I've been serious about someone, for a bit.  You know how that goes.'

He shrugs.

And the unanswered questions overwhelm them.

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_Fifth year_...fifteen, very close to sixteen.

She's waited her whole life to be sixteen.  Sixteen, sixteen.

The halls suit them well.  Seamus is a bit angry now, things are a bit scary, and she pulls them together.

She says, 'Seamus, I want you to tell me why you're sad. If you don't tell me, I'll find out anyway. If you tell me, I can help you. I can...help you, Seamus. Let me.'

He doesn't say anything. He stares at a blank spot on the wall. The wall that they write on.  'Keep it a secret' and 'Seamus and Parvati...'

And then, she sits by him and says: 'If you're scared, I'm scared too.'

It's very quiet today. And she hugs him for a very long time.

Sometimes she loves him so much it seems impossible.

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_Sixth year_ goes quickly.  It's like the last part of a race, when everyone starts running their fastest. They can't stop, there's no time to slow down...they're scared and they're hyped up. They want to win. They want to make each other proud.

_Sweet Sixteen. Sweet confusion._

They were full of contradictions. 

In one, she was very stuck up, in another she was insecure. She was intelligent, she was uneducated. She was good for him, she was bad for him.

In another, he was very quiet, in another he was loud.  He was cynical, but he hated books.  He was good for her, he was bad for her.

'Don't get so jealous,' she says one time, 'just because I'm dating...'

'You can date whoever you want, I've always told you that. I've always been supportive.'

'You've never been supportive, Seamus. Look, that's always been your problem. You've never been able to support me. You're such a rock. Can't you just tell me how you feel? Tell me what you think...don't be like this.'

He's sighing now...he's sighing a lot, she always puts him on the spot. She's pushy and aggressive, she wants her way.  He's quiet and he doesn't feel like telling her how he feels.  He never feels like telling her how he feels.

'It wouldn't change anything,' he says quietly, 'There's nothing left to say.'

'You like me…don't you?'

He says tightly, 'I've always...had feelings for you.'

He was a really scared person, she figured, when you got down to it. He didn't want to love anyone. She supposes that includes her.

She bites her lip and she says, 'I have to go. I have a date. Meet me here, we'll talk...we'll work things out. Get your feelings in line, Seamus. Because there's no way I'm being in a friendship where my best friend doesn't support me.'

When did things get so difficult?

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_Seventh year_.  Seventeen.

They are sad to leave behind this hall. This hall that memories are made of, this hall that makes people surreal.  This hall that's secret, almost as though it's never existed.  This hall that's made their lives interesting.

Even smiles come back to haunt you sometimes.

She used to think Seamus was her Prince. But seventeen years has changed a lot in that respect.  They're too different.  He's too in love with someone else...he's so mature, so grown up.

She has tried to hard to make him fall in love with her, or to make him tell her that he's loved her forever.  She has been beautiful, she has been sweet, she has listened, she has been a good friend.

She has shown him this hallway...shown him her life.

He has played the part of Seamus.  He's been difficult, cynical, and hard to live with.  He's been great, really.  He has not been supportive and he has been very impatient. He has been jealous.  

But he's the best boy a girl could ask for. Because he's Seamus. Just Seamus. 

Last day of Hogwarts...last day here, it's a long way home. But they're coming home.

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'Seamus.'

'Yeah?'

"I love you.'

'You should've told me before...'

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_Minutes later they exit the hall.  Their trunks trailing behind them, their clothes not saving them from the drafty hall.  Their hands are barely touching as they walk side-by-side.  The carriages are waiting and no one notices._

_Minutes later lives have changed and people have left._

_The hall disappears, it was only a picture of yesterday after all.  _

_It's like it was before they came and made history.  _

_It was here before, but it's not here anymore._

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THE END


End file.
